Automatic railway-crossing.



c. A. HELFER.

AUTOMATIC RAILWAY CROSSING.

APPLlCATlON FILED JULY 6.1915.

1,172,795. Patented Feb. 22,1916.

2 SHEETSSHEET 1.

Invent on CkarZesfl./Z'elf'erc. A. HELFER. J AUTOMATIC RAILWAY CROSSING.

APPLJCATIUN FILED JULY 6,1915.

1,172,795. Patented Feb. 22, 1916.

i 2 SHEET$SHEETZ.

9 e 50 Y 1 47 6. 57 I 5 v .59 *7 n den/for Charles .jzelfr THE COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH (20., WASHINGTON; D. c,

CHARLES A. HELFER, DE LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

Specification of Letters Patent.

AUTOMATIC RAILWAY-CROSSING.

Patented Feb. 22, 1916.

Application filed July 6, 1915. Serial No. 38,350.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, CHARLES A. HELFER, a subject of Sweden, having declared my intention of becoming a citizen of the United States, residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California,have invented a new and useful Automatic Railway-Crossing, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a railway crossing in which the tread of one or the other of the cross-tracks may be made continuous and uninterrupted for the passage of car wheels, thereby eliminating the usual open rail gaps for the wheels to jump upon traveling over the railway crossing.

An object of this invention is to construct a railway crossing that will have maximum life of operation, and which operating life will be as long as the operating life of the rest of the track, thus avoiding the heretofore frequent necessity of replacing rails at the crossings. I

The invention is applicable to crossing electric railways at the intersection of city streets, to crossing steam railways, or to crossing electric and steam railways, and comprises novel tread blocks that operate to close the tread surface of the rails of one track and form passages for the wheel flanges through the transecting track, thus avoiding the usual wear, tear and noise caused by the wheels jumping over the ordinary open rail gaps at the juncture of the crossing rails.

Another object is to provide improved means to automatically operate the tread blocks, which is of a light and simple character and not liable to get out oforder or to readily break.

Any suitable means, as electrical or hydraulic, may be employed to operate the crossing mechanism, the latter method being shown and described in this application.

The accompanying drawings illustrate the invention. Y

Figure 1 is a fragmental-plan' of a railway crossing embodying this invention together with power means suitably stationed alongside the crossing to automatically. operate the same. The crossing is shown in position to form a continuous tread surface for car wheels running in the direction inclicated by the double arrows. broken away and shown partly in section 1 ine at, F g 5 0? de n of ll st az Parts are tion. Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmental plan view, partly in section, and illustrating one of the tread blocks together with its actuating means. Parts are shown in position preparatory to moving the block into its rail passage just after being swung into alinement therewith. Fig. 3 is a view analogous to Fig. 2, illustrating positions assumed during the movement of a tread block into and out of alinement with its respective rail passage before insertion or after retraction. Fig. 4 is a vertical section viewed from irregular line 00 Figs. 1 and 2, showing parts in retracted position corresponding to Fig. 2. Fig. 53 is a vertical track section viewed from irregular line 00 Figs.v 1, 3, 4 and 6,

showing parts in position corresponding to Fig. 1 and to dot-and-dash lines of Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken from irregular line m Figs. 1 and 5, illustrating an operating connection for a set of tread blocks. Arrows on the various section lines indicate the direction of sight.

The rails 1 of the transecting tracks 2 may be of any standard form used in railway construction, those shown in the drawings.

being the usual grooved type provided with groove tongues 3 at the sides thereof. The terminals of said rails at the crossing are preferably supported upon a platform plate 5 that is carried by the ties 6, the rail-bases being suitably secured to the plate to thus hold said terminals securely in place at their unions which are preferably formed by miter joints 7 Crossing rail sections 8 are riveted or otherwise secured in place upon the platform 5 between the separated ends of the respective terminal rails 1 to form the usual rail cross-over, and the gaps at the junctures 9 of the crossing rails, through which the flanged portion of a car wheel passes, are formed in the present instance by making the body lengths of the rail sections 8 sufliciently less in length than the span of the track to form the requisite gaps or passages 10, the groove tongues 3 of saidrail sections extending beyond the rail body at each endvthereof and terminating in alslant edges that abut one against another to formtongue joints when the rail sections are mounted. in .place. Each tongue joint forms a continuationof a rail miter joint 7 and serves to brace the rail juncture construction. 1. Both the terminals of the rails 1 and the rail sect ons are. re n orced th uitable filler plates 11, secured upon each side of the respective webs 12 between the tread portions 13 and the rail bases to stiffen the rails at their junctures, said fillers being preferably flush with the sides of the tread portions, see Figs. 2 and 3. The ends of each of the cross-over rail sections 8 are slightly aslant to form a face 11, tapering away from the crossing and toward the mid-plane of the approaching track in each instance, thereby forming a wedge-shaped passage 10 between the opposite filler plate 11 and said end face lt, which passage extends from the top of the rail to the platform 5.

Tread blocks-16 are movable horizontally and arranged to be inserted into the respec tive passages 10 to close the tread surface of the rails and to be retracted from said passages and preferably swung out of aline- Inent therewith to allow the flanged portion of a car wheel to pass. The tread blocks are of the same height as the rails to which they are applied and in the instance shown are constructed to fill the passages 10 from top to bottom when moved into place therein, and the bottom portions 17 of the tread blocks are adapted to slide upon the plat form 5 as the blocks are moved into and out of their respective )assages so that when a block is in position in its passage it is supported by the platform as solidly as the rest of the track. T 0 provide for the movement of the blocks the groove tongues 3 and rail bases are cut away at the ends of each of the joining rails l in a vertical plane flush with the tread portions 13 to form together with the adjacent fillers, vertical rail faces 18 along which the tread blocks are adapted to slide, said cut away portions extending back a sufficient distance as at 19 to allow clearance of the blocks 16 upon swinging out of alinement with their respective passages 10. The tread blocks 16 each have a side face 20 adapted to aline with the adjacent rail face 18 when in place thereagainst, and an opposite face 21 tapering away from the juncture of the crossing rails toward the midplane of the approaching track and alining with the aslant face 1% of the respective assa es 10 to thus form a wed e-sha )ed' block by means of which a tight fit in the passages 10, is insured as said blocks are moved into place. Said tread blocks are formed upon the ends of carriers 22, which carriers are positioned alongside the terminals of the rails l opposite the respective passages 10, and are reciprocatingly mounted to insert and withdraw the tread blocks in a straightway path and swingingly mounted to move the blocks into and out of alinement with the passages. Guides 23 are provided opposite the respective passages 10 and spaced apart therefrom, each guide being'secured to the adjacent rail side by bolts 24, and provided with a guide-way 25 seats 26, when in position with their blocks 3 16 retracted from the passages, in which position said carriers are adapted to swing to move their blocks into and out of alinement with their respective passages. The seats also serve as stops to limit the backward movement of the carriers. Heel portions 28 are preferably provided upon the ournal ends of the carriers and rest upon the platform 5, said heel portions together with the bottom block portions '17 serving to support and maintain the carrier and its tread block in horizontal alinement.

Means for actuating each of the carriers are provided comprising a cam 29 that is pivotally mounted upon the carrier at 30and has acam face 31 adapted to slidingly con-' tact with the adjacent rail filler 11, said cam being provided with an arm 32, to which an operating connection 33 is attached. The cam face is eccentric to the pivot 30, so that when said face is held in engagement with the respective filler 11 and the cam turned back and forth by the connection 33, said pivot is moved to swing the carrier about its journal end 27 and thereby move the block into and out of alinement with the passageway 10.

A guard 34- is suitably fixed as by bolts 35 to the outer side of each'of the rail sections 8, adjacent the respective passages 10 and has a concave guide face 36 conforming to the path described by the end of the adjacent arm as the same is moved to turn the cam when the carrier is in place in the journal seat 26. The end face 37 of said arm slides against this concave face 36 as the arm .is moved to turn the cam' and thus hold the cam face against its adjacent rail.

Upon insertion of a block 16, the respective cam 29 is turned by its operating con-c nection 33 to swing the carrier and move the block against the rail face 18 and in alinement with the passage 10, see Figs. 3 and2, and upon further movement of said connec tion the cam and carrier are moved toward the passage to slide the block along said rail face and into the passage. Upon opposite movement of the operating connection the block is retracted along the rail face until completely out of the passage and then swung out of alinementtherewith as the cam turns back with the arm face 37 sliding around the concave guide face 36. It is noted that each of the tread blocks has a separate cam adapted to co-act with the ad- Cit j acent rail to thus afford a direct and accurate control for each block.

To guide the tread blocks along the respective rail faces 18 in a parallel straight way path upon retraction from the passages and thereby prevent any swinging movement of the carriers until the blocks are completely out of the passages, the guards 34 are each provided with guide faces 38 arranged normal to the guard-supporting rail section 8 and parallel to the opposite terminal rail 1,each face 38 intersecting with the concave face 36 and being adapted to slidingly engage with the side 39 of the arm as the readapted to move arrangement of the tread blocks is such that 7 the opposite cross-over sets of blocks are together to respectively close the tread surface of the rails of one track and open the tread surface through the rails of the transect-ing track and the cylinders 55 are connected to operate in dispective block moves into or out of its pasago-nal pairs a, Z), and a, 7), each pair of sage. Said guide faces 38 thus serve to prevent any locking of the block faces 21 against the wedge faces 14 at the beginning of the block withdrawal movement.

For the purpose of equalizing the operating thrust and strengthening the con struction, the carrier has upper and lower limbs a0, 41 respectively extending from the block, and joined at their other ends by the journal end 27, between which limbs is positioned the actuating cam 29 that is preferably of bifurcated construction to se cure a more effective bearing surface.

The tread blocks may be automatically oper ted by a crossing car or by hydraulic means controlled by a switchman stationed at the railroad crossing, the latter method being shown in the present instance. Said blocks preferably act together in sets of two, in which case the cams 29 between each of the approaching tracks are connected together in pairs by the operating connections 33, each of which comprises side links 42, each pivoted at 43 to the arms 32 and at to the extremities of a cross-arm 45 that is formed upon a cross-head 4E6 slidably mounted in a. guide 47.

The cross-headguides d7 are positioned centrally of the tracks and are supported upon the platform plate 5, each guide consisting of a base portion 48 having an'upper cover portion l9 secured in place by means of studs 50 that extend through the base portionand into the platform plate. A slot 51 is provided in the sides of each of the guides to accommodate the cross-arm 45 as the cross-head moves back and forth to actuate the cam connections 33. Said cross heads as are pivotally connected at 52 to piston rods 53 0f pistons 54 that are arranged to work in cylinders 55, each cylinder and piston constituting hydraulic operating means acting through the respective cross-head 416 to operate a set of tread blccks. r

The operating cylinders are mounted in respective web openings 56 of the cross rail sections 8, each opening being in alinement' with its respective cross head guide47, and said cylinders may be of any appropriate gether with said flow as the same is cylinders acting to simultaneously insert one set of tread blocks and 'ithdraw the other set. The ports 59 of the diagonal pair of cylindersa, Z; are connected together through an intermediate pipe 62 and the ports 58 of said pair are connectedby pipes and 6 71: to opposite power cylinders and 66 respectively. diagonal pair a, b? are connected together through an intermediate pipe 62 and the ports 58 of said pair are connected by pipes 63 and 6% to opposite power cylinders 65 and 66 respectively, see Fig. 1. zEach opposite pair of power cylinders have pistons 67 working therein that are connected to an intermediate cross-head 68 by the respective piston rods 69. This cross head is arranged to be moved back and forth to move the pistons 67 in the power cylinders and alternately direct fa hydraulic flow through the pipe connections against first one and then the other of the operating pistons 5st ofeach pair of cylinders a, b and a, b. Anv suitable means may be arranged for moving the power pistons, which in the present instance consists of an endless chain connection 70 running on sprockets 71 that are alternately turned back and forth, by any desirable means, such as a reversible motor 72. As the force of the flow is applied to move one or the other of the operating pistons 54: of either pair upon its in-stroke the fluid upon the other side of the inwardly-moving piston is forced through the respective intermediate pipe connection 62 or 62 and acts to move the other piston upon its out-stroke. By this arrangement each pair of pistons 54 of the diagonally arranged operating cylinders is interposed in a hydraulic flow and move go 1-. rected back and forth through the pipe connections by the pistons 67 of the power cylinders. Pressurericonnections 73 may be suitably positioned in the pipe connections 63, 64a: and 63, 6t and communicate with an outside pressure source, not shown, to maintain a constant hydraulic working pressure. Cover'plates are preferably positioned over the crossing mechanism and lie flush with the The,;ports 59 of the tops of the rails, the central cover 73 being suitably supported as upon concrete corners 7% and the surrounding covers 75 each being carried at one end by the guards 3a and suitably supported at their other ends. Said covers are provided with apertures 76 at the corners adjacent the rail junctures to permit the tread blocks to operate.

From the foregoing it is thus seen that as the cross head 68 is moved in the direction of the heavy arrow (Fig. l) the hydraulic flow is directed through the pipes by the power pistons 67 in the direction indicated bv small feathered arrows and acts to move tne pistons 54 of the opposite cylinders a, a upon their instrokes and move the pistons 54: of the opposite cylinders Z), Z) upon their out-strokes to respectively operate the connected tread blocks to close the tread surface of the rails of the track extending from side to side in Fig. 1 and open the tread surface through the rails of the other track, thus forming a continuous uninterrupted track over the crossing for wheels running in the direction indicated by the double arrows in Fig. 1. Upon moving the cross head in the opposite direction the hydraulic flow is oppositely directed. through the pipes to oppositely move the pistons 5i and thus operate the connected tread blocks to form a continuous track over the crossing in the cross direction.

The invention may be applied to any number of crossing tracks by attaching to the cross heads 68 an additional opposite pair of power cylinders for each track cross-over and connecting the same with actuating mechanism in a manner similar to that shown in Fig. 1.

The invention may be embodied in vari ous forms and it is understood that I do not contemplate limiting myself to the specific form shown and described.

I claim 1. The combination with a railroad crossing having passages at the juncture of its crossing rails, of tread-blocks positioned opposite the respective passages and adapted to be moved into and out of said passages to respectively close the tread surface of the rails of one track and open the passages through the rails of the transecting track, and means to insert and retract the tread blocks in a parallel path with the adjacent rails and to swing said blocks into and out of alinement with said passages upon inser tion and retraction respectively.

2. The combination with a railroad crossing having passages at the juncture of its crossing rails, of tread blocks positioned opposite the respective passages and adapted to be moved into and out of said passages to respectively close the tread surface of the rails of one track and open the passages through the rails of the transecting track,

cams adapted to co-act with the adjacent rails to actuate the blocks, said cams being reciprocated in a parallel path with said rails to insert and retract the blocks and being turned relative to said rails to swing the blocks into and out of alinement with the passages and means to operate the cams.

3. A railway crossing comprising intersecting rails, having transverse passages at their intersections to accommodate the flanged portion of a car wheel, treadblocks adapted to move into and out of said passages to respectively close the tread surface of the rails of one track and open the passages through the rails of the transecting track, aseparate cam connected with each tread block, and cams being adapted to coact with the adjacent rails to actuate said tread blocks, and means to operate tile cams.

4. A railway crossing comprising intersecting rails, having transverse passages at their intersections to accommodate the flanged portion of a car wheel, tread blocks adapted to move into and out of said passages to respectively close the tread surface of the rails of one track and open the passages through the rails of the transecting track, actuating means for said tread blocks, operating cylinders, and pistons working in said cylinders and connected with said actuating means.

5. A railway crossing comprising intersecting rails, having transverse passages at their intersections to accommodate the flanged portion of a car wheel, tread blocks adapted to move in pairs into and out of said passages, reciprocating cross-heads intermediate the respective pairs of tread blocks and connected therewith to actuate the same, and means for operating said cross-heads, the cross-heads of opposite pairs of tread blocks operating together to move the blocks to respectively close the tread surface of the rails of one track and open the passages through the rails of the ransecting track.

6. In combination, a railroad crossing having passages at the juncture of its crossing rails, horizontally movable tread blocks adapted tomove into and out of said passages to respectively close the tread surface of the rails of one track and open the passages through the rails of the transecting track, carriers positioned opposite the respective passages and carrying said tread blocks, said carriers being reciprocatingly mounted to insert and retract the blocks and being swingingly mounted to move the blocks into and out of alinement with the passages, and means to actuate the carriers.

7. In combination, a railroad crossing having passages at the juncture of its crossing rails; horizontally movable tread blocks adapted to move into and out of said passages to respectively close the tread surface of the rails of one track and open the passages through the rails of the transecting track; carriers positioned opposite the respective passages and carrying said tread blocks; cams pivoted to the carriers and adapted to engage with the adjacent rails; said cams being reciprocated to move the carriers to insert andretract the blocks, and said cams being turned to swing the carriers to move the blocks into and out of alinement with said passages, and means to operate the cams.

8. In combination, a railroad crossing having passages at the juncture of its crossing rails; horizontally movable tread blocks adapted to move into and out of said passages to respectively close the tread surface of the rails of one track and open the passages through the rails of the transecting track; carriers positioned opposite the respective passages and carrying said tread blocks; journal seats for the carriers; cams pivoted to the carriers and adapted to engage with the adjacent rails; said cams being reciprocated to move the carriers into and out of said journal seats to respectively retract and insert the blocks, and said cams being turned to swing the carriers in said journal seats to move the blocks into and out of alinement with said passages, and means to operate the cams.

9. In combination, a railroad crossing having passages at the juncture of its crossing rails, horizontally movable tread blocks adapted to move into and out of said passages to respectively close the tread surface of the rails of one track and open the passages through the rails of the transecting track, carriers positioned opposite the respective passages and carrying said tread blocks, cams pivoted upon the carriers and contacting with the adjacent rails, said cams being adapted to actuate the carriers to move the blocks, operating means for said cams and means to hold the cams in engagement with their respective rails.

10. In combination, a railroad crossing having passages at the juncture of its crossing rails, horizontally movable tread blocks adapted to move into and out of said passages to respectively close the tread surface of the rails of one track and open the passages through the rails of the transecting track, fixed journal seats opposite the respective passages and spaced apart therefrom, carriers positioned between said journal seats and said passages and carrying the tread blocks, cams on the carriers and actuated to slidingly move said carriers into the journal seats and then swing said carriers therein to respectively retract the blocks and then move the same out of alinement with the passages, means to guide the blocks in a straightway path upon retraction from the passages, and means to actuate said cams.

11. In combination, a railroad crossing having passages at the juncture of its crossing rails, horizontally movable tread blocks adapted to move into and out of said passages to respectively close the tread surface ofthe rails of one track and open the passages through the rails of the transecting track, fixed journal seats opposite the respective passages and spaced apart therefrom,

carriers positioned between said journal blocks in a straightway path upon retraction from the passages, and means to operatethe arms.

12. In combination, a railroad crossing having passages at the juncture of its crossing rails, horizontally movable tread blocks adapted to move into and out of said passages to respectively close the tread surface of the rails of one track and open the passages through the rails of the transecting track, fixed journal seats opposite the respective passages and spaced apart thereseats and carrying the tread blocks, cams on the carriers and actuated to swing said carriers in the journal seats and then slidingly move said carriers out of the seats to respectively move the blocks into alinement with the passages and then insert the same, means to guide the blocks into alinement with the passages upon insertions thereinto, and means to operate the cams.

13. In combination, a railroad crossing having passages at the juncture of its crossing rails, horizontally movable tread blocks adapted to move into and out of said passages to respectively close the tread surface of the rails of one track and open the passages through the rails of the transecting track, fixed journal seats opposite the re spective passages and spaced apart therefrom, carriers journalecl in said journal seats and carrying the tread blocks, cams on the carriers, cam arms to actuate said cams to swing the carriers in said journal seats and then slidingly move said carriers out of the seats to respectively move the blocks into alinement with the passages and then insert the same, stationary guards positioned adjacent the passages, said guards each having a concave guiding face conforming'to the path described by the end of the respective cam arm when the respective carrier is in place in its journal seat; said cam arms being adapted to slidingly engage with the guiding faces to thereby guide the tread blocks into alinement with the passages, and means to operate the arms.

14. A railway crossing comprising intersecting rails, transverse passages in the rails at the intersection thereof to accommodate the flanged portion of a car Wheel, tread blocks adapted to move into and out of said passages to respectively close the tread surface of the rails of one track and open the passages through the rails of the transecting track, actuating means for said tread blocks, operating cylinders, pistons Working in said cylinders and connected With said actuating means, power cylinders connected with said operating cylinders, pistons in said power cylinders, and means to move said secondnamed pistons to thereby operate the firstnamed pistons.

15. A railway crossing comprising interseating rails, transverse passages in the rails at the intersection thereof to accommodate the flanged portion of a car Wheel, tread blocks adapted to move in sets into and out of said passages to respectively close the tread surface of the rails of one track and open passages through the rails of the transecting track, operating cylinders, pistons in the cylinders and respectively connectedwith the sets of tread blocks; said pistons being adapted to move in pairs to simultaneously insert one set of tread blocks and Withdraw the other set; povver cylinders connected with the operating cylinders; pistons in the power cylinders; and means to move said second-named pistons to move the first named pistons.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at Los Angeles, California, this 29th day of June, 1915.

CHARLES A. HELFER.

In presence of JAMES R. TOWNSEND.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

\ Washington, I). C.

It is hereby certified that in Letters Patent N 0. 1,172,795, granted February 22,

1916, upon the application of Charles A. Helfer, of Los Angeles, California, for an improvement in Automatic Railway-Crossings, an error appears in the printed l l specification requiring correction as follows: Page 5, claim 12, after line 100, insert the Words from, carriers journaled in said journal; and that the said Letters Patent should be read With this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 21st day of March, A. D., 1916.

[SEAL] J. T. NEWTON,

Acting Commissioner of Patents. 01. 104 116.

Correction in Letters Patent No 

